2.
Keep the cage warm and dry- 80-85o for non- tropical specimens and
85-90o for tropical specimens, 24 hours a day. More snakes are killed by
too little heat than by all other causes combined. A desk lamp or
aquarium top heater can supply heat, but a thermometer is necessary.
Good floor coverings are Astroturf, -3 sand blast gravel, pine shavings,
or newspaper. CAUTION: Never use cedar shavings.

3.
Keep the cage out of direct sunlight. Temperatures of over 104o will
kill even a tropical snake. Check your thermometer often.

4.
Keep the cage clean.

5.
A hiding place in the cage for the snake may be desirable.

6.
Fresh water should be available at all times. Be sure the container is
heavy enough so that the snake cannot tip it over. If the container is
large, be sure the snake can get out of it.

7.
Feed your species of snake what it prefers; most snakes have a very
restricted diet. Offer food to most snakes once a week- more often to
younger snakes and less often to older specimens. Some eat only
warm-blooded prey, others only cold- blooded, while a few eat both or
other foods. Example: Boa Constrictors eat rodents and birds, garter
snakes eat fish, frogs and worms. Most snakes will learn to eat and
prefer dead prey in captivity, CAUTION: If a live rodent must be
offered, DO NOT LEAVE IT until the snake has caught or constricted the
rodent. If the snake does not strike in a very few minutes, remove the
rodent. Many caged snakes have been killed or maimed by being chewed or
bitten by mice or rats.

8.
Don't handle your snake for a few days after feeding.

9.
Snakes shed their skin regularly, anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 months. About
a week before shedding, the snake's skin becomes dull and its eyes become
cloudy. Avoid handling the snake during this period. The eyes will clear
up 2 or 3 days before shedding. Keep some rough object such as a rock or
branch in the cage to help the snake shed its skin.

10.
Learn if your snake likes to climb or burrow, and set up the cage
accordingly.

11.
When holding a snake, support its body with both hands; never just hold it
by its head. Never squeeze a snake.

12.
CAUTION: Do not use Lysol or any substance containing phenol in any room
where a snake is kept. It is extremely poisonous to them. Insecticides
applied to a snake may prove fatal.